Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Rally to Tie White Sox in 10th

The Cubs rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 10th to tie the score, but the winning run was left stranded at 3rd, as the White Sox and Cubs played to an 8-8 Selig Special at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park this afternoon in sunny and warm Mesa.

box score

Ted Lilly got the start for the Cubs, and went six strong innings (82 pitches - 60 strikes, 5/10 GB/FB). He allowed four runs on seven hits, with two walks and 3 K, but had only one bad inning (the 4th), where he allowed three runs on a lead-off walk, a double, and three singles.  But then Lilly settled down and retired the last seven men he faced, including one on an outstanding running catch by Felix Pie in right-center to end he 5th. 

Lilly also allowed one run in the top of the 1st, but it wasn't his fault. Alfonso Soriano took an up-and-out route when he should have run a post-pattern, allowing Pablo Ozuna to reach third on a line-drive that was misplayed into a triple to start the game. Ozuna came around to score on an RBI single by Juan Uribe, but Ozuna never should have been on base in the first place.

Otherwise, Lilly looked solid, and appears to be ready to use his last start (presumably next Thursday) as a final tune-up for the regular season.

Down 4-0, the Cubs could do nothing with White Sox starter Javier Vazquez through five innings (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, and 5 K).  

But then the Cubs bats woke up in the bottom of the sixth, when with one out, Derrek Lee lined a triple into the RF corner (Lee hit the ball hard three times today, with all three balls hit to the opposite field), Aramis Ramirez lined a double down the RF line (scoring D-Lee), Kosuke Fukudome walked,,Geovany Soto lined a two-run double into deep right-center (good to see Soto hit the ball hard), and Felix Pie slapped an RBI single on a 1-2 pitch into left-center to tie the game and finish the day for Vazquez.

Kerry Wood relieved Lilly in the 7th, and Woody looked great, throwing a 1-2-3 12 pitch inning with two strikeouts (both swinging) and an F-9.

Bob Howry worked the 8th, and although he did allow a single and hit a batter, he also had a strikeout, a pop up to the catcher. and an easy 6-3 grounder. 

Kevin Hart entered the 9th with the game locked 4-4, but gave up an opposite-field line-drive HR to Juan Uribe that gave the Sox a 5-4 lead.

But then the Cubs came back in the bottom of the 9th against reliever Boone Logan, scoring the tying run on a lead-off double smashed down the left-field line by Ronny Cedeno, a wild pitch, and a sac fly to deep right by Alfonso Soriano.

The White Sox appeared to blow the game open in the top of the 10th, scoring three runs off the hapless Scott Eyre. The lefty allowed two doubles, two singles, and a walk before finally getting the third out, and he looked like crap doing it, too.  .

With much of the crowd having departed in the wake of Eyre's putrid outing, the never-say-die Cubs rallied for three runs of their own in the bottom of the 10th, thanks to some shoddy fielding by Jermaine Dye in RF.

Fukudome led-off with an infield single to deep short, and then Eric Patterson worked a walk, bringing up the tying run.

Henry Blanco looped a pop fly behind second base that Dye lost in the sun, allowing the ball to drop for a single, loading the bases.

After Felix Pie hit into a 1-2 FC, Ronny Cedeno drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, and then Matt Murton smashed a line-drive to the warning track in RF that skipped off Jermaine Dye's glove for a two-base error (Murt should have gotten credit for a sac fly RBI, but he apparently did not), allowing Blanco and Pie to score the tying runs, and sending Ronny Cedeno to third. Cedeno probably could have scored, too, but since there was only one out, 3rd base coach Mike Quade decided to play it conservative.

So with Cedeno on third representing the winning run and Murton on second, Casey McGehee struck out swinging, and PH Sam Fuld grounded out 6-3 to end the game in a tie, as both teams apparently had run out of available pitchers, plus the White Sox had a 90 minute bus ride back to Tucson, and you don't want to get back too late or you have to deal with long lines at the restaurants.

Comments

Are we going to have to deal with 3 months of 'bad' Scott Eyre again this year? I hope if they do trade Marquis or Murton we can somehow come up with another decent lefty option.

Hahah, might have been posted already... http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/mark_prior_just_needs_to "PEORIA, AZ—Padres pitcher Mark Prior informed teammates Monday that he just has to pop in to the hospital for "one quick sec" to have Tommy John connective tissue reconstruction surgery performed on his right arm. "Hey guys, can you pull over for a minute? My U.C. lig is just killing me and I gotta get a little T.J. before the game," Prior reportedly told fellow pitchers Jake Peavy and Chris Young after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament while the trio was driving to the ballpark. "Just a quick Teej—pop out the lig, pop in a tendon, no biggie. I'd do it myself, but I just had some ro-co [rotator-cuff surgery] last night and I can't move my arm. You can leave the car running, I'll be back in a minute tops." Prior will not be able to throw a baseball for 16 to 18 months."

AZ is a tough place to evaluate personnel especially during Spring Training. Pitchers suck all spring and then throw 3 hitters for 7 innings in their first starts. But this Cubs team screams for some moves to be made: Murton has been playing OF like the DH that he is; Eyre is, well Eyre; can Fontenot play SS and 2B? If so, Cedeno and Cintron are expendable; etc., etc. This reminds me so much of 1984 when they made the deal for Dernier in the last week of spring training. This team needs a similar spark. For that reason alone, I would like to see them get Roberts and move Theriot between Pie and the pitcher. If dealing with the O's is obviously this problematic, I hope Hendry is pursuing some other options for a LH leadoff hitter. I'm sure the team as is can 'contend' for the NL Central crown, but there are moves to be made for this team to reach the World Series: a leadoff hitter (preferably LH), middle relief (again, preferably LH), and CF backup unless EPat or Fuld can contribute. I can't think of anything more worthless than acquiring a RH CF (e.g. Byrd, Payton, et al). Why bother giving up anything for someone who might start 25-30 games all year? Either Pie can play or he can't, but they're not going to find that out shuttling him between Chicago and Iowa or getting another OF retread to take AB's away from Pie.

you would have to think hendry has to pull the trigger in the next 2 or 3 days when they leave arizona for vegas i would think the team is set. lou has gone back and forth on lineup last couple of days i would guess that means he wants something different. for pie to maybe have success he needs to hit 7th not 8th lou has not made final rotation out because he is waiting for trade to happen. did crisp go to japan?

did crisp go to japan? ========== apparently, yes. from USA today: Mar. 21, 2008 - 8:25 a.m. ET According to MLB.com, Coco Crisp (groin) is probable for the Red Sox's season opener Tuesday in Japan. The Red Sox still must decide whether or not to activate Crisp for the two games in Japan, but either way Jacoby Ellsbury figures to be the starter in center field. Source: MLB.com Mar. 18, 2008 - 2:25 p.m. ET The Red Sox will bring Coco Crisp with them to Japan, manager Terry Francona said Tuesday. Crisp appeared doubtful for the trip just two days ago because of his groin injury. We can't imagine a trade coming before the Japan trip, so it figures that Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury will be on the roster together for at least two games.

AZ PHIL: Since Sammy Fuld wilted under the competition pressure, what will the org. do with the kid now? I see the Cub's bench as being pretty thin as it currently stands, and Sam Fuld, while he plays terrific defense, has turned back into a pumpkin, away from the AFL.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Since Sammy Fuld wilted under the competition pressure Well... it be more related to him just not being that good rather than him wilting under any pressure.

Submitted by The E-Man on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 7:58am.

AZ PHIL: Since Sammy Fuld wilted under the competition pressure, what will the org. do with the kid now? I see the Cub's bench as being pretty thin as it currently stands, and Sam Fuld, while he plays terrific defense, has turned back into a pumpkin, away from the AFL.

===================================

E-MAN: Sam Fuld will be optioned to AAA Iowa sometime in the next couple of days, and he will be the starting CF for the I-Cubs in 2008.

As I've said before, Fuld has no future with the Cubs once Felix Pie is established as the Cubs everyday or platoon CF. 

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).